Attachments
by Mystiquota
Summary: There was always that one spirit who no one ever talked about. One of the oldest spirits born by the Man in the Moon, only a wee bit younger than the Sandman, constantly wandering the Earth waiting for hundreds of years for... well, she didn't really know. Slowly losing her mind with nightmares, she helps a dysfunctional family in need. She can help them, but can they help her?
1. Prologue

_**Summary: ****There was always that one spirit who no one ever talked about. One of the oldest spirits born by the Man in the Moon, only a wee bit younger than the Sandman, constantly wandering the Earth waiting for thousands of years for... well, she didn't really know. Slowly losing her mind with nightmares, she helps a dysfunctional family in need. This is the story of Althea Everett.**_

**Welcome to my first fan fic!**

**This story will be different from all those ROTG fics that go will the usual plot: "new oc - chosen to be a guardian - falls in love with jack - pitch comes back - finally knows memories- ..." NO. This is different; wanna know how? just read on. **

**If you have any questions, just ask away in a review.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rise of the Guardians. It is property of Dreamworks Animation and William Edward Joyce.  
**

* * *

"Well, Kangaroo, you could have just warned me!"

"Ever heard of common sense, Frostbite? You've known me for years, yet you still don't understand how hard it is for me to prepare for Easter!"

"Bunny, calm down, I'm sure Jack didn't mean it."

"So you're on his side, am I right, Tooth? Of course you'd be on his side! It's because he's a kid isn't he? But he should learn!"

"Stop being so melodramatic, Kangaroo. And Tooth's right, I didn't mean it! It was an accident, what part of that do you not understand?"

"But Jack, you still didn't have to prank Bunny in the first place."

"It was supposed to be just a small one, North! If only Bunny took a better look out for his eggs, it wouldn't go out of hand!"

"Y'know what, Frostbite, I've had enough."

"Did you also know that I feel the same way? I'm out of here."

"See ya later."

"Jack! Bunny! Come back here!"

"It'll be alright, Tooth. They just need time to cool off, they'll be back, I'm sure of it."

* * *

The night was still; no laughter, no music, no rustling of leaves; just complete and utter silence - except for the grumbles of a certain white-haired boy.

"Stupid Bunny... stupid eggs... stupid Easter... and stupid me."

Jack sat on the gutter of one of the houses in Burgess, feet dangling in mid-air and staff held tightly. He sighed, it was just like the Blizzard of '68 all over again - another accident, more blaming and yelling at Jack Frost. "You just had to make mess of everything again, don't you Jack?" he scolded himself.

"Got yourself in trouble again?"

Jack jumped up at the voice and almost lost his balance. Then he suddenly recognized the voice. "Dang it, Althea. Stop appearing out of nowhere." he said. The girl chuckled behind the tree leaves. A moment of silence passed between them before Althea decided to speak up.

"Why didn't you try giving a sincere apology?"

"But Bunny-"

"But Bunny, what?"

"I-!"

Jack sighed in defeat._ It's because I was so stubborn, _Jack thought and stared at his bare feet. _This would not have happened if it weren't for my stubborness..._

"Jack, it's so simple. A sincere apology would do just the trick. Now don't get yourself a depression now, they're probably looking for you. They're your family, they want what's best for you and-"

"What do _you _know about family?"

Jack gasped — he really didn't mean to say that! "Althea, no, I'm sorry-"

"No," she said darkly, "you're right. What do _I_ know?"

Another moment of silence. The Winter Spirit was mentally slapping himself upside the head. _Idiot, idiot, idiot._

"As I was saying, they're probably looking for you. And Bunny has something to say to you, too, Jack. It must be important."

The Guardian was still silent.

"It was nice seeing you again, Jack."

Jack widened his eyes, "Hey, wait!"

Leaves started to rustle louder, it seemed as if the Althea was jumping from tree to tree. The Guardian quickly called the Wind and started following her. It soon ended up as a chase, the spirit jumping from tree to tree and Jack chasing her down. As the row of trees ended, the girl jumped down and ran as fast as she could, her brown cloak flowing in the breeze, but managed to keep her hood up. Jack kept his eyes on that cloak, determined to reach it to stop her from moving. _Almost there. _He grasped at the cloth, stopping the girl briefly. However, the Althea's instincts were rapid; she did a back flip, landing behind Jack, and untied her cloak. This momentarily blocked the Winter Spirit's vision. "Hey!" he exclaimed. He could hear her footsteps slowly fading, and when he got the cloak off him, she was gone.

Jack stared at the brown cloak he was holding and said, "I didn't even get to say thank you."

* * *

The Easter Bunny was in his Warren, trying to clean out the snow and collecting his eggs. It was quiet in the Warren, but it was loud and troubling in the Guardian's mind.

_We should never have trusted you!_

Memories from that day kept replaying in his head - the look on Jack's face was crestfallen when his heart broke when the Guardians thought he betrayed them. Betrayal. Such a strong and delicate word. It can change someone's perspective, maybe even change his life. And to think Bunny believed that some one like Jack, _of all people, _would betray them, the closest thing he has to a family. The Pooka felt really guilty, all of the sudden displeased with himself for taking away the child's only hope that time. Heck, he was the bloody Guardian of _Hope, _for crying out loud. He really hoped that he didn't do it again this time._  
_

_Well, he still didn't have to mess up my Warren! _Bunny thought. There was a war inside his head, undecided whether to forgive the boy or not.

"You should forgive him, you know."

The Guardian swiftly turned around, ready to swing his boomerang at who ever spoke. But the thing is, he couldn't find it.

"Alright, sheila, you better show your face!" he warned.

"You're just like him, you know? Same instincts. But different thoughts," she observed.

"You don't know what you're talking about! What do you want?" Bunny demanded.

"Just a small chat, if that's okay with you. And that I don't have to show my face to you," she simply replied.

The Pooka _hmph_ed and lowered his boomerangs, "Alright, sheila, what do you wanna talk about?"

"You... and Jack."

"Wait, how'd you know our names?"

"What spirit doesn't know about the famous Easter Bunny and Jack Frost?"

"Fair point," he mumbled.

"Anyways, you should forgive him."

"And why would I do that?"

"Because you don't want him to feel how he felt during the Easter 10 years ago _again_. You obviously care about him."

Bunny just stared at the ground. Maybe it was true, he cared about Jack, he was like that little brother... he once had. Bunny had always felt guilty about that Easter too, and obviously didn't want it to happen again.

"And admit it, you love how he pulls pranks on you and that you'd have payback. Do you want to stop that kind of brotherly relationship?"

Bunny was quiet for a moment, then whispered, "What should I do?"

"Like I said, forgive him, give him another chance. Maybe even ask him to help out here in the Warren to make it up to you."

"It's that simple?"

"That simple."

"Oh."

Neither of them spoke for a moment. There was a small shuffling noise which caused Bunny to turn around. Up in a tree, his eyes met with emerald green ones, almost just like his own. The girl watched the Guardian think for a moment before saying, "I might see you again soon, Bunnymund." Then she swiftly ran pass the large rocks of the Warren.

"Sheila, wait! I didn't even get your name!"

The noise of the girl's footsteps quieted down for a bit, and after a moment, she finally answered, "Althea," then disappeared.

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**Don't worry, you guys will learn more about Althea in the next chapter, which is already in my hands ;) This chapter is terrible, I know. So please leave a review for me, I need tips. Criticism is highly appreciated, of course. Reviews keep me going, so review if you want the second chapter in two days time, or maybe sooner :) Favorites and follows are appreciated too!**

**See y'all soon!**

_**xxMystiquota**_


	2. Slow Dying Flower

**Angst up ahead; just saying.**

**Disclaimer:**_** I do not own Rise of the Guardians. It is property of Dreamworks Animation and William Edward Joyce.**  
_

* * *

_What a bunch of children,_she thought. A simple problem with a simple answer was not something to be worried about. Then again, they were a family, things like that would happen all the time and yet they would stay together. Althea knew Jack and Bunny would eventually make it up to each other; she had seen fights like those before in other families. Those two were just like brothers in a dysfunctional family. She knew that the Guardians were trying their best to get closer with one another, to let each other know that they were important. But sometimes, someone just needs to fan the flame - just a little bit. That was what Althea was trying to do - give a little push. It wasn't enough that they would soon forgive each other without knowing what they did wrong.

Althea sat on the base of the statue in Burgess gazing up at the Moon. "Look, I don't know what you're going to do with me, just please make it good. I don't want to feel that the thousand years wandering the Earth was for nothing."

Just before the young - in terms of what age she turned into a spirit - girl found the Winter Spirit balancing on a gutter, she was just about to go home at the forest near Burgess, where the Boogeyman was concealed. Althea would normally sleep on the tree branches. However, Althea was just staying in Burgess for a short while, since she would eventually get bored and move on to another place on the globe. You might be thinking, "Why didn't she just go to the Guardians?" She hated them. With a passion. Why? Because she was ignored by them _for hundreds of years_. She believed that they didn't even know about her - though there was the exception of the Sandman and Jack Frost who she had befriended a few decades ago - and her theory was proved right when Bunnymund didn't recognize her name. Oh, Aster. How she _despised _him. Everyone had always believed he was the Spirit of Spring, but no one considered the fact that he was just the _Protector _of Spring. What was terribly ironic was that he didn't even know that what he was protecting was an actual spirit. It's common sense, really; if there's a Spirit of Winter, then there are spirits for the rest of the seasons aren't there? And who else would be the Spirit of Spring other than Althea Everett herself. Like Jack Frost, she had something to use to release her power with; a bow and arrow. How ironic it was; Spring was the season of life and yet her weapon was that of to kill. Each time one of her arrows had hit a plant of any sort, it would bloom to life. Fortunately she knew the limit of her powers and decided not trying it on humans. But her weapon wasn't the only source of her power. Vines could spread from the tip of her fingers and from the soles of her feet on her command. It helped her during times of combat, like when she had encountered Pitch (which happened on several occasions – making her feel relieved that Pitch finally had gone; letting her rest).

Then there was that Winter Spirit, Jack Frost.

It made perfect sense that they already knew each other, they were both seasonal spirits. And the fact that Spring came right after Winter made the two meet each other in different instances – you could say they were friends. Unless, you count not knowing what the other looked like. Thanks to the cloak, Jack never saw Althea's face, and he was fine with it. Unfortunately, he had taken her cloak which served as a camouflage for her.

Althea leaned her back on the statue. Her head rested on her palms as she contemplated her actions and words toward the two Guardians, "What was I thinking? I should never have approached, 'should never have tried to help them."

Despite her hatred for the Guardians, she always had a little hope that one of these days, her _entire _life would change and that the hundreds of years wait was totally worth it. What she had done back there, however, was not something she did just to get noticed. It was a habit of hers to do something like that – be like a counsellor. Everywhere she went there were always arguments and broken relationships. But thanks to experience, she knew how to help the people, even if they couldn't see her. She would communicate with them in a way, or just lead them to signs to show her message to them. It was weird to her, that she would do that to others but she couldn't do it to herself.

Experience... that's all she ever had. Althea had experienced everything; war, injury, loss, love, heart break – you name it. Happiness, however, only occurred around once or twice a year, and that was during the beginning of Spring. But there were always the nightmares. But the scariest part was that her nightmares were really her memories as a spirit, constantly haunting Althea in her sleep. Sometimes she wondered what would it be like if she had refused Manny's offer. He really was itching her up, making her wait for _so long._ At times, she would almost lose her patience and considered joining Pitch. However, she had remembered about Spring; the season of life. It was the season when new life, _new hope,_ would come for everyone. Althea was proud to be the Spirit of Spring, to be the one to deliver life. Joining Pitch would definitely ruin her – helping in spreading nightmares and fear to children? That would suck the life out of them – sometimes _literally. _So she stuck to waiting. And waiting. And waiting. For something she didn't even know of. She was just a small flower slowly losing her petals as time went by.

Althea stared at the Moon above her, blankly staring at her. She stared back with pleading eyes, a broken look on her face. Then she closed her eyes, and fell asleep, to a fortunately dreamless sleep, hoping tomorrow would be a better day.

* * *

**That sort of just.. happened. **

**(kudos to you if you get that reference)**

**I apologize that it's short and kinda.. angsty, I guess. Though I hope you enjoy this chapter, it sort of is an introduction or part two of the prologue. And sorry that it barely has any dialogue. Please leave a review, fave, or follow, they really keep me going. And I need a beta reader, anyone up for the job? Hopefully the third chapter will be up soon :)**

**See y'all**

_**xxMystiquota**_


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